Main cast: Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams/Ironheart), Lyric Ross (NATALIE), Manny Montana (John King), Matthew Elam (Xavier Washington), Anji White (Ronnie Williams), Sonia Denis (Clown), Shea Couleé (Slug), Zoe Terakes (Jeri Blood), Shakira Barrera (Roz Blood), Anthony Ramos (Parker Robbins/The Hood), and Alden Ehrenreich (Joe McGillicuddy)
Director: Sam Bailey
The biggest imbecile in the MCU, Riri Williams — which is something, considering that Star-Lord is still breathing — continues her amateur hour criminal perfidy in We in Danger, Girl, once again causing the death of another person while she flails around and makes it all about her.
Meanwhile, Joe reveals to Riri that he’s actually related to the backstory of Tony Stark, as if it matters because the superior tin-can man is dead anyway, and it looks like someone may just be manipulated events off-screen to ensure that Parker Robbins will never consider adding Riri into his Christmas party guest list.
So yes, once again, another character dies, although this time one can argue that this person deserves it more than the poor security guard in the last episode, who was just doing his job until Riri got him killed.
Still, this illustrates the biggest issue with this show so far, well, aside from Riri being a colossal imbecile: it doesn’t dare to commit. It is one thing if the show would have Riri become an antihero, as the premise practically demands her to be one, but instead, each time Riri gets blood on her hands, the show portrays it as some cute “But really, it’s not directly her fault!” moment that only underscores how stupidity is dangerous when you pair it with a colossal ego and a suit of mass destruction.
It may also help if Riri had at least own up to being a villain or show plenty of guilt and remorse over her actions, but no, the show just sweeps everything under the rug as things keep moving. It expects me to find excuses to let Riri off the hook.
Of course, this is not the first time this happened. Remember how Wanda Maximoff mind-raped an entire town, causing mass PTSD and worse to these people, only for the show to try to gaslight viewers that Wanda is actually a misunderstood pooh bear and the world would never understand the pain that Wanda had gone through because her AI lover died? After all, no one else in the world has ever lost a loved one!
For what it’s worth, Wanda wasn’t incompetent, and the damage she caused was one she inflicted willingly. Riri, on the other hand, is just being her massive imbecile self with other people being collateral damage because she has literal plot armor to make sure that she never has to suffer the consequences of her actions.
I do feel sorry for Dominique Thorne, because she really looks like she’s trying to make her character matter, but it’s a hopeless task.
So far, Ironheart isn’t the worst Disney+ MCU show in terms of presentation, polish, pacing, and acting, but the fundamental premise is broken and will continue to be unless this show has the testicular fortitude to own up to this character’s sins and crimes. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter if Ms Thorne put on a performance of a lifetime.
So, will this show own up to Riri being a terrible example of a human being? I suppose there’s time, as there are three more episodes to go, but given the track record of the MCU thus far, I am already bracing myself for the ultimate train wreck.
